Dodgers Nation Interviews: Matt Beaty

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 30: Matt Beaty #45 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a single in the top of the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on April 30, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

This week at Dodgers Nation, we got the opportunity to interview the newest Dodger, Matt Beaty!

The Rise

Matt Beaty had some really interesting things to say regarding his upbringing in the Dodgers organization that he was kind enough to shed some light on that he credited to help him get where he is:

“When you think of minor league baseball, you think you’re riding buses that don’t have AC and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before and after games, but that’s not how the Dodgers do it. They take care of their guys. We get good meals before and after the games.”

That is honestly such a great thing to hear. The Dodgers are already known to be part of the select group of elite organizations in Major League Baseball and Beaty’s take just proves that. In addition, Beaty discussed who he credits for his success and rise to the bigs: Jay Gibbons for his launch angle and gap power assistance and Terrmel Sledge for refining his approach. Beaty also seems to embrace the new age of analytics.

The Call

Beaty was hitting pretty will in Oklahoma City, posting a .789 OPS and .355 OBP to go along with two homers and ten RBIs. This is how he said he received the news from OKC Dodgers manager Travis Barbary that he was heading to San Francisco to join the Dodgers:

“He [Barbary] told me the news and I was excited. It was a long night with not a lot of sleep and an early flight the next following morning. A whirlwind of emotions”

Getting the call is a surreal moment for any professional and Matt Beaty was no exception.

The Pre-Game

Matt Beaty said he had a very meaningful conversation with Justin Turner prior the game. This is what he said:

“I had a good talk with JT before the game and he was just telling me about how to be prepared and be ready because an ‘off-day’ when you’re not in the starting lineup is not an off-day.”

That sounds JT-like and that is some fantastic advice for a rookie.

The On-Deck Circle

Beaty came into the on-deck circle with obvious poise and he discussed the grand stage he was thrust into:

“First three innings, I was just trying to soak it up. It’s Dodgers versus Giants, one of the biggest rivalries in baseball”.

My name is Daniel Preciado and I am 18 years old. I am a sophomore Sport Analytics major and Cognitive Science and Economics dual minor at Syracuse University. When I am not in New York, I live in Whittier, California --- not too far from Chavez Ravine. I am pretty old-school for being an analytics guy and I will always embrace debate. Also, Chase Utley did absolutely nothing wrong.